The lesson “I Believe That Books Will Never Disappear” is an interview-style piece in which
the writer Jorge Luis Borges explains why books are permanent and irreplaceable, even in
an age of modern technology. He argues that books are the greatest human invention
because they preserve imagination, memory, and the history of [Link]+2
Main idea
Borges firmly believes that no new invention can truly replace books, though many people
think that modern communication technologies will make books unnecessary. He says other
inventions extend our body (like telephone for voice or telescope for sight), but a book
uniquely extends our imagination and memory, so its role in human life cannot be taken over
by machines or [Link]+2
Borges’s life and attitude
In the interview, Borges speaks about his own life, including his blindness and his love for
libraries and reading from childhood. Even after becoming blind, he continued to buy and
work with books, treating his suffering as “raw material” for creativity and showing a positive,
courageous attitude to [Link]+1
View of literature and dreams
Borges describes literature as a “controlled dream” and says that human life and the past
are like a series of dreams preserved in books. For him, books are the “memory of all
centuries,” connecting past, present, and future by carrying human thoughts and
experiences across [Link]+2
Why books must not disappear
Because books store knowledge, culture, and history, Borges warns that if books
disappeared, history would disappear, and finally even humanity would be lost. He feels that
protecting books and literature is essential for the survival of human identity and civilization,
so he is confident that books will never truly [Link]+2
“Heaven, If You Are Not Here on Earth” by Kuvempu says that heaven is not a far-away
place in the sky but something that must be created and experienced here on earth itself.
The poet argues that if heaven is not on this earth, then it cannot exist anywhere
[Link]+2
Heaven is on earth
The poet addresses “Heaven” directly and insists that one should not search for it after death
or somewhere in the skies. He says that the beauty of nature on earth already gives the joy
people imagine in [Link]+2
Nature as proof of heaven
Kuvempu describes roaring hill streams, rolling sea waves with white surf, tender sunshine
on green forests, golden harvests, and cool moonlight as heavenly sights. These
experiences make the earth itself a blissful, divine [Link]+3
Humans as gods and nymphs
The poem also challenges the idea that gods and heavenly nymphs live in a separate
heaven. The poet says that if humans show love, kindness, compassion, and forgiveness,
they themselves become like gods and nymphs and turn earth into [Link]+2
Main message
The central message is that heaven is not a separate world but something humans can build
through good behaviour and appreciation of nature. By living humanely and seeing the
divinity in nature and in one another, people can enjoy “heaven” while still alive on this earth.
“Japan and Brazil Through a Traveller’s Eye” is a humorous travelogue by George Mikes
that compares the behaviour and culture of people in Japan and in Brazil. The writer uses
funny incidents to show how Japanese and Brazilian people are polite or careless, slow or
hurried, depending on the [Link]+3
Manners in Japan
In Japan, Mikes notices that people are extremely well-mannered and live in very crowded
cities but still respect one another’s privacy. He describes how everyone bows to everyone
else, how even conductors on trains bow before checking tickets, and how people pretend
not to listen at crowded public telephones so that the speaker feels
[Link]+2
Bowing and behaviour
The writer calls bowing a “mania” in Japan because husbands, wives, children, shop girls,
and even a deer at Nara keep bowing politely. However, when a bus arrives, the same polite
people suddenly push, shove, and stamp on one another’s toes to get in first, which the
author finds very amusing and [Link]+2
Life and traffic in Brazil
In Brazil, especially in Copacabana, he first feels that nobody is in a hurry and people walk
slowly, enjoying life and beauty. He admires the artistic black-and-white mosaic designs on
the pavements but is shocked that the same relaxed people become reckless “speed devils”
when they drive [Link]+3
View of drivers and roads
Cars are very expensive in Brazil, yet the roads are crowded, and drivers often aim their cars
straight at pedestrians who step off the pavement, treating it like a dangerous game. This
contrast between lazy walkers and wild drivers shows the strange and comic side of
Brazilian city [Link]+3
Overall message
Through these observations, Mikes shows that every country has its own special habits, and
people can be both polite and rude, calm and wild, depending on the place and situation.
The lesson encourages readers to look at different cultures with humour, curiosity, and an
open [Link]+3
“The Voter” by Chinua Achebe is a political short story about Rufus Okeke, called Roof, who
works as an election campaigner in the Nigerian village of Umuofia and gets trapped
between loyalty, greed, and conscience during an election. The story shows how corruption
and bribery spoil democracy and how an ordinary voter’s choice becomes meaningless
when politics turns into a game of money and [Link]+3
Setting and main characters
The story is set in Umuofia, a village that now has modern elections after independence.
Roof is the clever, influential campaigner for Chief the Honourable Marcus Ibe, a rich and
powerful politician who expects to win [Link]+3
Roof’s dilemma
During the campaign, Roof persuades villagers to vote for Marcus by giving gifts and making
promises. Before the election, the rival candidate Maduka, through his agents, secretly offers
Roof a bribe of five pounds and makes him swear a traditional oath (iyi) that he will vote for
Maduka, putting Roof in a serious moral [Link]+3
Climax at the polling booth
On polling day, Marcus sends Roof to vote first, trusting him completely. Inside the booth,
Roof does not want to betray Marcus or break his oath to Maduka, so he tears his ballot
paper into two pieces and drops one half in each candidate’s box, which spoils his
[Link]+3
Themes and message
The spoiled ballot shows Roof’s confusion and weakness, and it also symbolizes how
corruption makes a citizen’s vote useless. Achebe uses Roof’s action to criticize dirty
politics, bribery, and the lack of true moral courage in both leaders and ordinary
[Link]+3